1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to hand tools, and particularly to magnetized hand tools having magnetized handles, bases, or other portions, enabling those tools to be secured removably to a ferrous metal panel for storage or to a ferromagnetic workpiece.
2. Description of the Related Art
Tools in general are configured primarily for their use, with little or no consideration being given to their storage when not in use. Hand tools are often tossed into a tool chest drawer or the like for storage, where they are subject to sliding around and being mixed with other tools each time the drawer is opened or closed and/or the chest is moved. One solution to this problem has been the placement of a padded sheet of material in the bottom of the tool chest drawer, but such relatively soft padded material is often subject to deterioration due to the impact of tools as they are replaced in the drawer, and such material does nothing to retain the tool(s) positively in a specific position in the drawer.
An alternative method of storing tools is provided by a pegboard panel and a series of hooks, pegs, hangers, and/or other fixtures extending from the pegboard. Oftentimes the owners of the tools will mark their desired storage locations on the board, and while this can help to keep the tools organized, it is not a complete answer to the problem. The hooks, hangers, and other fasteners hanging from the pegboard are prone to being dislodged from their attachment holes, and the tools themselves often do not hang or reside neatly in their assigned positions due to their being primarily configured for use rather than storage, as noted further above.
The present inventor is aware of various attempts to provide for the neat and convenient storage of various tools. An example is found in Chinese Patent No. 2,578,055 published on Oct. 8, 2003. This reference describes (according to the drawings and English abstract) different embodiments of tool handles having magnets secured therewith. One of the embodiments comprises molding the tool handle with the magnets embedded therein during the molding process, and further molding a covering sheet of material over the handle and magnets at the time of manufacture of the tool.
Another example is shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2004-057,227 published on Feb. 26, 2004. This reference describes (according to the drawings and English abstract) a rice scoop with a magnet embedded in a recess in the handle and retained therein by a cover that is ultrasonically welded in place.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus, magnetized hand tools solving the aforementioned problems are desired.